When is Saint Pierre-Chanel Day?
Saint Pierre-Chanel Day is a public holiday in the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands on April 28th each year. This holiday is observed on the Feast Day of Saint Pierre-Chanel who was martyred on this day in 1841.
History of Saint Pierre-Chanel Day
Peter Chanel was born in France and became a Catholic priest in 1827. From an early age, he had shown an interest in being a missionary and bringing the word of god to new lands.
In 1837, he travelled with a band of missionaries to the South Pacific, arriving in Futuna in November of that year. Chanel was seen as a thoughtful and patient missionary, even learning the local language. However, as his efforts resulted in natives being converted to Christianity, including the King of Futuna's Son, the King saw this as a threat to his authority. The King then sent his son-in-law to deal with the problem, who killed Chanel on April 28th 1841.
Chanel was declared a martyr and beatified in 1889. He was canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. Chanel is recognized as the protomartyr and patron saint of Oceania.
